ANÓNIMO, POSIBLEMENTE FRANCÉS

(S. XIX)

ANONYMOUS, POSSIBLY FRENCH (19TH CENTURY) "Allegories of the Four Continents"

Four engraved and painted glass plates. The series consists of four glass plates depicting the four continents: Africa, America, Asia and Europe, which closely follow the compositions designed by Marcus Gheeraerts (1561-1636) and which were printed by Philips Galle (1537-1612) around 1590-1600. The rich iconography of these representations is mainly inspired by the "Iconology" of the Italian Cesare Ripa, a source that was complemented by descriptions provided by testimonies and literature from travellers of the time. The allegories occupy the central space of the composition and are shown as women carrying symbols that were once used to identify each of the continents. They are accompanied by various animal and botanical species from each region, as well as ethnographic allusions with picturesque representations of some of its inhabitants. The four plates are in good condition, except for the one representing the American continent, which has one of its upper corners consolidated. Measurements: 20 x 14.2 cm. each